Guardian Industries to build second float glass plant in Brazil

Federal, state and local officials attended the ceremony.



The Tatui plant will be the largest glass manufacturing facility in South America, and will produce 800 tons of float glass per day. Guardian Tatui will target its production toward residential and commercial construction. Preliminary site clearing activities have begun. The plant is expected to directly create nearly 300 new jobs, as well as 1,000 jobs in support industries. This will mark Guardian’s second manufacturing facility in Brazil. The first plant has successfully operated in Porto Real, Rio de Janeiro since 1998. Guardian’s customer base has recently grown enough to support a second line. The plant will also export glass to nearby countries.



Guardian’s planning and development team conducted an exhaustive search throughout the region for a potential site and were impressed with the support and cooperation received from the local and state officials. The company was particularly impressed with the sustainable development policies promoted by Tatui’s Mayor Gonzaga and Sao Paulo’s Governor Serra.



“The leaders of your ministries of foreign affairs, trade and industry continue to embrace open trade and regional integration,” said Russ Ebeid, president of Guardian’s glass group. “We especially thank the state of Sao Paulo and the municipality of Tatui for its warm welcome and concerted efforts on our behalf.”



“We are very happy that Guardian selected Tatui for its new plant,” said Tatui Mayor Luiz Gonzaga Vieira de Camargo. “We’ve already begun plans for two new technical schools to address the labor demands for Guardian and all of the companies in the region.”



Other local officials and senior Guardian managers participated in the ceremony to formally announce that work has begun on the new manufacturing facility. Mark LaCasse, the managing director for Guardian in Latin America, described the 76-year old company as one of the leading glass manufacturers in the world. “Guardian plants stretch from Thailand to India to Venezuela to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Emirates,” he said. “We are about ready to open a new plant in Russia and now, the newest Guardian plant becomes our second one in this country. You can say that we are around the world yet around the corner including the United States, Europe and Brazil.” He talked about Guardian branded glass products already known to many Brazilian consumers including Guardian Mirror and the company’s scratch-resistant glass known as DiamondGuard™. He also thanked Guardian customers in Brazil and the region for their support and for driving the company’s growth and expansion.



About Guardian Industries Corp.:

Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass, fabricated glass products, fiberglass insulation and other building materials for commercial, residential and automotive applications. Through its Science & Technology Center, Guardian is at the forefront of innovation including development of high performance glass coatings and other advanced products. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 19,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Visit www.guardian.com.